A dispute over banners in the city of Ballari escalated into a violent confrontation between two groups allegedly associated with mining baron and MLA Gali Janardhana Reddy and Congress MLA Nara Bharath Reddy at late night on Thursday.
The altercation resulted in the tragic death of Rajashekar, a follower of Congress MLA Bharath Reddy.
The incident has raised concerns over potential escalation in tensions between the two political figures beyond the initial dispute over banners. Janardhana Reddy, known for his influential role in the mining industry, publicly accused the family of Congress MLA Bharath Reddy of allegedly orchestrating a conspiracy to assassinate him following the clash.
“We had planned the unveiling of the Maharshi Valmiki statue and all preparations were in place. However, Gangavathi MLA G. Janardhan Reddy, along with B. Sriramulu and others, did not want the programme to be held and deliberately fuelled tensions to create a law-and-order situation to stall the event,” said MLA Nara Bharat Reddy.
He further alleged that BJP leaders are unable to accept the inauguration of the Valmiki statue as they could not undertake such initiatives when they were in power. Expressing grief, Bharat Reddy also acknowledged that one of his supporters was killed in the clash, calling it an unfortunate and tragic incident.
An FIR has been registered against 11 persons, including MLA G. Janardhan Reddy and former minister B. Sriramulu, in connection with a clash over banner installation. The case was registered at Bruce Pete Police Station, following unrest during the Valmiki statue unveiling and a banner dispute outside Janardhan Reddy’s residence in Ballari.
